Running fridge while traveling

[2edgesword]

Leveling shouldn't be an issue while traveling unless you spend a long time on a constant steep grade (or stuck in traffic on a significant grade). I've read a report that out of level for 20 minutes or more can begin to dramatically heat up the absorber system.

That said we have never run our frig while on the road. In preparation for a long period on the road (up to 5 hours) we have start the frig two days before leaving, gotten it really cold in the freezer and haven't had any defrost issues with frozen food. If the refrigerator seals are good I don't think you need to run the frig on a 4 ~ 5 hour trip. Longer than that you may end up with some of the frozen food beginning to defrost.

[jjtotten]

In ours the 12 volts operate the solenoids which is part of the safety features built into the refrigerators.

[Tdbrwn]

Our not quite one year old 2017 Jayco Eagle HT 29.5 BHDS is our 6th RV since the mid-1990s. The fridges, one in kitchen, A/C and propane, and this model, has the smaller outside kitchen A/C only fridge for drinks and sandwiches, get started a couple of days before a trip and they aren't turned off until we get home and said fridges are unloaded. The inside AC/propane fridge is, as others have said, set to 'automatic' for the duration of the trip.
In all of our travel trailers and 5th wheels, we've never turned them off while on a trip. We've had models with fridges in the back wall and fridges along the passenger sidewall, as our current Jayco has.
We've (so far) never had a smelling gas problem, never had a pilot flame blowing out while going down the road problem and when we plug in, the units switch to electric, and when we're getting ready to leave a site when we unplug I just take a few seconds and listen to make sure the fridge relights, again without a problem.
I know the question to travel with the fridge on or with the fridge off is a hot-button topic for many but we've had them on while traveling since before the dealers started telling people you probably shouldn't (for liability reasons) and this has been my experience with several models of RV fridges for over 20 years and with numerous trips.
The ONLY problem we ever had with a fridge was because of a bad battery connection in our 1998 Tahoe 5th wheel that would make the RV lose all 12-volt power while traveling, and no 12-volt meant no fridge. Of course, that happened on a trip but when it got figured out we've had no problems since.

[robert9999]

Keep mine going as long as it’s being towed. 18,000 tow miles so far & it still works as new

[NorthPoint5r]

I too run in auto. I was preparing the RV for an upcoming trip and found the frig not running on propane. When I looked the propane flame kept cutting out after a few minutes. When I took the top door off I found a thin piece of plywood nailed from the inside covering the door. Once removed I found a wasp nest over the hot air exit pipe. After removal It worked fine.
Why is the plywood there?

[Crossingover]

We always run ours on the road and typically forget to turn it off when refueling. But we always go through the truck lanes at Pilot/Flying J and the diesel is much less of a concern with an open flame than the gas lanes are. If we were to be stuck in slow moving traffic at an odd angle, we'd shut it off. Only issue was a spec of dirt/rust that got caught in the burner orifice and caused a failure to light. Easy fix to that one.

[Longleaf]

Just remember that when your refer is running on propane, it is also drawing DC current off your house battery. It will run your battery flat, if you are not hooked up to shore power every now and then or driving on the road, to recharge the house battery.
After Hurricane Irma, I had no shore power, and ran my refer on propane for about 5 days while I was gone from home. (Unit parked in driveway) On my return, the refer was shut off, it had plenty of propane, but had run the house battery flat. This happened because I was not hooked up to shore power.
Normally you should never have this problem unless you are boondocking.

[ruralIN]

We have an older Granite Ridge. I bought an inverter, 750 W, and put it in the basement next to the battery compartment. A short ext cord and 15 A plug converter and I power the refrigerator via 110 driving down the highway. That avoids the refueling problem as no open flame.

Battery is charged continuously from vehicle running. I did have to put in a switch to turn off the converter as that load with the refrigerator and other minor draws exceeded the inverter capacity. You cannot run it that way while parked (not running) for a long period of time as the load will draw down the house battery and inverter will shut down. However, you can refuel, stop at rest areas, have lunch, etc. If we stop for longer, I switch to LP. A little management but it keeps the frig cold and food and beverages fresh.

4 years and I've only filled LP tank once.

[Mischievia]

The movement going down the road helps to circulate the fluid inside the lines.

[Dansy]

Always ON unless I get close to something like a tunnel where there's sign that say propane off.....

[Marshmellow]

You would need to be pretty much on a big slope. I have mine in my driveway while getting ready and it ahs a bit of a slope and I have had no issues.